Halogens and noble gases in Mathematician Ridge meta-gabbros, NE Pacific: implications for oceanic hydrothermal root zones and global volatile cycles

Abstract

Six variably amphibolitised meta-gabbros cut by quartz–epidote veins containing high-salinity brine, and vapour fluid inclusions were investigated for halogen (Cl, Br, I) and noble gas (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) concentrations. The primary aims were to investigate fluid sources and interactions in hydrothermal root zones and determine the concentrations and behaviours of these elements in altered oceanic crust, which is poorly known, but has important implications for global volatile (re)cycling. Amphiboles in each sample have average concentrations of 0.1–0.5 wt% Cl, 0.5–3 ppm Br and 5–68 ppb I. Amphibole has Br/Cl of ~0.0004 that is about ten times lower than coexisting fluid inclusions and seawater, and I/Cl of 2–44 × 10−6 that is 3–5 times lower than coexisting fluid inclusions but higher than seawater. The amphibole and fluid compositions are attributed to mixing halogens introduced by seawater with a large halogen component remobilised from mafic lithologies in the crust and fractionation of halogens between fluids and metamorphic amphibole formed at low water–rock ratios. The metamorphic amphibole and hydrothermal quartz are dominated by seawater-derived atmospheric Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe and mantle-derived He, with 3He/4He of ~9 R/Ra (Ra = atmospheric ratio). The amphibole and quartz preserve high 4He concentrations that are similar to MORB glasses and have noble gas abundance ratios with high 4He/36Ar and 22Ne/36Ar that are greater than seawater and air. These characteristics result from the high solubility of light noble gases in amphibole and suggest that all the noble gases can behave similarly to ‘excess 40Ar’ in metamorphic hydrothermal root zones. All noble gases are therefore trapped in hydrous minerals to some extent and can be inefficiently lost during metamorphism implying that even the lightest noble gases (He and Ne) can potentially be subducted into the Earth’s mantle.